The estimator was great, but the work crew was disappointing for the cost. The place is an active remodel with several work crews on site sharing the driveway (which is long but gets congested near the house). Instead of Nolan sending the team in one company vehicle they showed up in separate vehicles which made things tight. We heard from other crews on site that they didn't cooperate well when it came to vehicle management. So, if you set up a job with them in a similar situation, be sure they know where you want them to park to avoid unnecessary confusion or tension if you have other workers on site.
We had originally said we wanted high-gloss for our trim, but the estimator talked us out of it and we went with a product he recommended. When applied, it had almost no sheen to it at all. That's quite a gap between stated desire and end product. In hindsight, we should've asked to see a sample or they should've offered to provide one. They did almost all the trim in one room before we caught how flat the finish they suggested actually was. It was like primer. They suggested another product, then charged us to do it over which was a poor way to resolve that particular disconnect. At a minimum, given we deferred to their recommendation, they should have offered to split the cost - but no. And when I said as much to one of the Nolan family members his response was "he doesn't usually make suggestions." But he did and we trusted him so I guess that means, we shouldn't have trusted you. Got it.
They make something of a big deal about their prep work and protecting everything but when I stopped by mid project, they were doing some work in a bathroom, spackle compound and dust were all over the tiled floor we had just had installed the week before. When I asked why it hadn't been covered, the guy said "Oh, I thought it was old and going to be replaced." What? Whether it was old or not is irrelevant, protect your work space. Or ask if you aren't sure.
When they said they were finished with the project as a whole, we went onsite to see. They hadn't painted the tops or bottoms of a single window in one large room (about 6 windows) as evidenced by the spackle dust on the tops of everything. They left our utility sink full of used brushes, didn't remove their plastic drops around a built-in leather booth in the kitchen, missed spots on ceilings, walls, and trim. In the end, we had a punch list 2 pages long of things both large and small. Things ranging from how they left a chilled water bottle to create a sweat ring on unfinished wood of the kitchen cabinets to not ensuring the place was secured when they left one night; a window was left wide open in a bathroom and it was going down to the teens that night. It seems prudent if the last people out of a job site that you have the responsibility to ensure the work-site is safe and secure. If we hadn't randomly stopped by at the end of the day it would've been a very costly mistake.
We met on site with the estimator and one of the owner's sons whose attitude was stiff and indifferent. He agreed the work should've been better AND said how great his team is. At one point he said the foreman was upset about the feedback I'd been providing. Get over it. We paid you thousands of dollars to do a professional job expecting high quality and ended up with 2 pages of things that were missed. If the team were so great, how'd that happen? It's also not the job of your client to bolster the ego of someone who can't handle direct feedback about his crew's work. At one point, I thought they'd gotten paint on our chimney, realized I was wrong, and then apologized to him for it. That's what you do when you're wrong.
The Nolan who walked through with us said they'd come back and that he'd personally be on site to ensure the punch-list was resolved. We gave him the list, again they claimed victory. They missed half a dozen things on the list and we found new things like new paint strikes on colored walls from the white trim paint touch-up (we're talking inches long). All Nolan needed to do was walk the space, list in hand, and make sure each item was addressed, but he didn't.
When we emailed both the estimator and Nolan to tell them we were cancelling the remaining contract - and why - the Nolan we'd met with didn't responded, but instead had the estimator do it. No apology and no accountability for the owner's son's inability to ensure the punch list we provided was resolved per his word. We did get a "we stand behind our work" and a promise that they'd have made things right if we'd given them a chance. "Pssst! We did give you a chance - with a list - and you didn't make things right."
At their prices there should barely be a need for 2nd, let alone 3rd chances. read more